Unicorns & Glitter!

If you've seen a Progressive commercial lately, you know that some things just go together.  So, when my friend thought I should write about courage OR patience, I thought, "why not both?"  Now, they don't necessarily have to go together, but they can often work together at different times in our lives. 

So let's begin to uncover the meaning of these words that are often thrown around as meaningless buzzwords when advice is offered in our times of need.

"The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear."
OR
"To act in accordance with one's beliefs, especially in spite of criticism." 

I disagree with the first definition in that courage doesn't mean we are fearless; it means we proceed in spite of our fears because we believe in what we're doing.  On thinkexist.com, there are a total of 238 quotes when you click on the topic of courage.  The one I felt most drawn to was this one:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

I think that quote really speaks to the fact that courage isn't about successfully accomplishing anything; rather, it's about daring to try and involving your whole being in the process - even if you know failure is possible.  

"The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like."
OR
"An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay."


Personally, I like the 2nd definition better because it reflects the conscientious decision a person has to make in order to achieve patience.  It's something that has to be deliberate and requires discipline.  Again, thinkexist.com has many quotes on the topic - 89 to be exact.  There were actually two quotes that really spoke to me and what I believe patience to be based on how it's defined.  


“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.”

“Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength."

Do you see how courage can work with patience and vice versa?  If I'm willing to go for something I believe in and it requires courage for me to do so, you can probably bet it will take patience, too, because I may not always reach my end goal as quickly or painlessly as I hope to.  Or, when I'm patiently waiting and nothing happens, maybe it's because I haven't activated my courage to change the situation.  Being complacent in life doesn't require courage or patience - it's baring your soul, displaying your vulnerabilities and jumping full force into life that does.  

Where in your life can you use a little more of either of these?  What are some other virtues or concepts that "go" together in your life?  Let me know because I'd like to explore more topics!